Shins fans across the globe can finally take part in a collective fist pump. After five years and James Mercer’s side project, Broken Bells, The Shins have come up for air and released the first single from Port of Morrow, “Simple Song.”
Although Mercer’s musical project has undergone some significant changes, the lovable Shins factor is still there: Mercer’s skillful songwriting and distinctive vocals, as well as poppy guitar riffs and plenty of melodic bass. Much like past Shins’ songs, in “Simple Song” Mercer poetically sings about coming-of-age and young love. By means of his tender lyrics and complementing background “ahhhhs,” he uses the song to transport listeners to a reminiscent dream state. Mercer sings: “When I was just 9 years old/I swear that I dreamt/Your face on a football field/And a kiss that I kept/Under my vest/Apart from everything/With the heart in my chest.”
The song lives up to its title: it really is simple. The band members aren’t showing off any new tricks or flexing their muscles. They seem to be getting back to their roots, whether or not it’s intentional. With “Simple Song,” The Shins revisit the catchy, conventional sound of their first two albums—catchy, upbeat and buoyant. With their last album, Wincing the Night Away, the overall theme was considerably more overcast and austere than their typical works (supposedly Mercer’s insomnia was a major influence). With acoustic, slower-tempo tracks, the album seemed to be a departure from the lighthearted, modernized Beach Boys sound for which they had become known.
But “Simple Song” sounds like it picks up right where Chutes Too Narrow left off—back to the carefree hooks and upbeat lyrics. It’s the chorus of “Simple Song” that truly grasps the listener.
“I know that things can get really tough/When you go it alone/Don’t go thinking you gotta be tough/To bleed like a stone/Could be there’s nothing else in our lives so critical/As this little hole.”
With Port of Morrow, frontman Mercer has shuffled the band’s lineup considerably—out with Marty Crandall (bass) and Jesse Sandoval (drums), and in with Richard Swift (piano and organ), Jessica Dobson (lead guitar), Yuuki Matthews (bass) and Joe Plummer (drums). Despite some new faces, the band sounds like it always has. Along with new band members, Mercer’s housekeeping efforts also included a new record label. Past works had been produced under Sub Pop Records, but Port of Morrow will be released through Mercer’s own Aural Apothecary label (by way of Columbia Records).
If the rest of Port of Morrow is anything like “Simple Song,” fans are in for a familiar treat—a bunch of poppy-sounding songs you won’t be ashamed to have on your iPod. The album will be released on March 20.
